Morganite, the sister stone to emerald and aquamarine, didn’t always have a special name. For many years morganite was known simply as pink beryl. Regarded as an exciting new gem alternative to pink sapphire, pink tourmaline and kunzite, it was Tiffany’s celebrated gemologist, George Frederick Kunz who renamed this unique gemstone morganite. By selecting this name, he paid tribute to New York banker and personal benefactor, John Pierpont Morgan who was also a great admirer and collector of gemstones.
Since its discovery, morganite has been primarily prized by collectors due in large part to its limited availability. Morganite is a member of the beryl family, along with emerald, aquamarine, heliodor and goshenite. Typically free of inclusions, it has a good hardness rating on Mohs scale (7.5 – 8) as well as good toughness. Its durability, luster, clarity, brilliance and myriad of beautiful pink hues make morganite immensely suitable as a jewelry gemstone that is appropriate for everyday wear. The only factor impeding morganite’s popularity is its scarcity.